Governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has appointed nine headmasters of elementary schools in the state as Permanent Secretaries.

The nine headmasters who were drawn from the nine federal constituencies in the state were promoted to Headmaster Generals which is equivalent to Permanent Secretaries.

Aregbesola, who sworn-in the headmaster generals on Tuesday at the state government Secretariat, Abere, stated that the move was to break the barriers and limitation of primary school teacher to attain higher position in the civil service.

The governor disclosed that the primary aim of the promotion of the headmasters is to encourage primary school teachers and enhance the standard of education at the grassroot level.

He stressed that the state government deliberately situated the offices of the headmaster generals in rural areas for them to be able to see to the educational needs of those at the grassroots level.

Aregbesola urged them to ensure that their appointment translate into immediate positives results, by seeing to how they can assist government in improving education at the basic level.

The Governor said: “The appointment of headmaster generals among our teachers is in line with the positive transformation we are carrying out in our schools.
“We want to take the basic education system in our schools to an enviable height and we also want to encourage our teachers at the basic level for them to know that they can rise to the highest level of their career as teachers under the employment of the state government.”

Aregbesola also commissioned a lakeside resort named after a slain Permanent Secretary, Mrs Kemi Kolawole, explaining that it was done to keep the memories of the dedicated civil servant alive.

He noted that Mrs Kolawole was an exemplary civil servant who served the state with all might and integrity, saying that her death was one that the entire state will not recover from in a long time.
In his remarks, the Head of Service in the state, Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade, commended Aregbesola for creating an enabling and conducive working atmosphere for the state workers.

He said the present government has created serene and conducive working environment for the workers in the state to perform their duties and services to advance socioeconomic development of the state.

Oyebade said: "This occasion is unprecedented. You continue to give vista to governance, demonstrating strength of character in public service since the inauguration of this administration in November, 2010.

"We in the state civil service are not surprised because our governor has demonstrated that he is a trained ideologue of the left and the only thing that can draw smiles from your face is to see that the mass of the people is provided with the basic things of life to link them with the rest of civilized humanity.

"You have given them automatic conversion as Education Officers and changing their profession to a Directorate Cadre as I recalled with nostalgia the creation of the Office of Tutors-General/Permanent Secretaries on 28th September, 2012 in the three Senatorial Districts.

"You continue to invest heavily in Education as the only lasting legacy for the future as your architectural master-pieces we called High Schools are universities of other states.